Great Facts About the Five Great Lakes Great Facts About the Five Great Lakes By Kim Ann Zimmermann, Live Science Contributor | May 3, 2013 06:40pm ET MORE Credit: Stasys Eidiejus Shutterstock The Great Lakes — Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Erie — make up the largest body of fresh water on Earth, accounting for one-fifth of the freshwater surface on the planet at 6 quadrillion gallons. The area of all the Great Lakes is 95,160 square miles (246,463 square kilometers). The lakes are on the U.S.-Canadian border, touching Ontario in Canada and Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York in the United States. About 34 million people in the United States and Canada live in the Great Lakes basin. More than 3,500 species of plants and animals inhabit the Great Lakes basin, including 170-plus species of fish. Today, the Great Lakes are popular recreation spots for boating, fishing and other recreational activities and still serve as an important mode of transportation of goods, but they have not always been in their current form.

About 14,000 years ago, the Great Lakes area was covered with a glacier that was more than a half-mile (1 km) thick. As the glacier melted, it slowly moved toward Canada and left behind a series of large depressions that filled with water. These formed the basic shape of the Great Lakes, and about 10,000 years ago the Great Lakes took the form that is familiar today. The Mackinac Bridge connects Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas at the straits between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Credit: lphoto Shutterstock While the area had been inhabited for a very long time before European explorers arrived, Étienne Brûlé (circa 1592-1632), an advance man for the French explorer Samuel de Champlain (circa 1567-1635), is generally credited as the first European to discover the Great Lakes. Brûlé is believed to have reached Lake Huron around 1615, and went on to explore Lake Ontario. There are a number of rivers and tributaries connecting the Great Lakes.

The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and there is such a steady flow of water between these two bodies that they could be considered one lake. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are connected by the Niagara River, including Niagara Falls. The St. Lawrence River connects Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which leads out to the Atlantic Ocean. The Great Lakes are dotted with more than 30,000 islands. While many of the islands are small and uninhabitable, the largest is Lake Huron’s Manitoulin Island (1,068 square miles or 2,766 square km), which is also the largest island in any inland body of water on the planet. There have been a number of shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, as storms and reefs can make navigation treacherous. The last and one of the most famous shipwrecks was that of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on Nov. 10, 1975, killing the crew of 29.

Quick facts about the five Great Lakes: Lake Erie: The name was derived from erielhonan, the Iroquoian word for long tail, which describes its shape. It is the fourth largest of the Great Lakes when measured in surface area (9,910 square miles / 25,700 square km.) and the smallest by water volume (116 cubic miles / 484 cubic km). Lake Huron: Named for the Wyandot Indians, or Hurons, who lived there.Lake Huron is the second largest Great Lake by surface area (23,000 square miles / 59,600 square km) and has the longest shoreline (3,827 miles / 6,157 km), taking into account its many islands. A view of Niagara Falls (Horseshoe Falls) from the Canadian side. EEK! - Great Lakes Map Great Lakes Facts Did you know that.... Lake Superior is 1,335 feet deep and 350 miles long. It is the largest of the Great Lakes in both surface area and volume. Lake Superior could contain all the other Great Lakes plus three more lakes the size of Lake Erie.

Learn more fun facts about Lake Superior . Lake Michigan is 925 feet deep and 307 miles long. It is the third largest Great Lake and the sixth largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Huron is 748 feet deep and 206 miles long. It is the second largest Great Lake and the fifth largest freshwater lake in the world. It has the longest shoreline of the Great Lakes if you count the shorelines of its 30,000 islands. Lake Erie is 210 feet deep and 240 miles long. It is the fourth largest of the Great Lakes in surface area and the smallest by volume. Lake Ontario is 804 feet deep and 193 miles long. It is the smallest of the Great Lakes in surface area. It lies 325 feet below Lake Erie, at the base of Niagara Falls. . Largest Lake in the World - Largest in the United States Largest Lake in the World & Largest Lake in the United States Caspian Sea map: Map of the Caspian Sea - World's largest landlocked water body (by surface area). Image by CIA. Which Lake is the World's Largest?

There are a few different ways to define the world's largest lake. Are you interested in the lake with the largest surface area? Or, the lake with the greatest water volume? And, do you want to consider saltwater seas in your comparison? "Which lake is the world's largest?" is not a simple question to answer. So, we will explore the question from a few different perspectives. World's Largest Lake (by volume): Lake Baikal is the world's largest freshwater lake in terms of volume. It contains about 5,521 cubic miles of water (23,013 cubic kilometers), or approximately 20% of Earth's fresh surface water. This is a volume of water approximately equivalent to all five of the North American Great Lakes combined. While Lake Baikal is extremely deep, its surface area is only about 12,248 square miles (31,722 square kilometers), putting it in seventh place worldwide in terms of surface area. Lake Baikal map: Map of Lake Baikal - World's largest freshwater lake (by volume). Image by CIA.

World's Largest Lake (by surface area): The salty Caspian Sea has the greatest surface area of any lake at 143,200 square miles (370,886 square kilometers). Lake Superior, on the United States/Canada border, is the named freshwater lake with the greatest surface area at 31,700 square miles (82,103 square kilometers). However, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron can technically be considered a single lake because they both have the same surface elevation and they are connected by the Mackinac Strait (which is not a river because the water does not have a consistent flow direction). So, Lake Michigan-Huron could be considered the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It has a total surface area of 45,410 square miles (117,611 square kilometers), which is significantly larger than Lake Superior. The total water volume in Lake Michigan-Huron, at 2,026 cubic miles (8,443 cubic kilometers), is much smaller than the volume of Lake Baikal. Great Lakes map: Map of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron - World's largest freshwater lakes (by surface area).

Image by CIA. Largest Lake in the United States (by volume): The largest lake in the United States on the basis of water volume is Lake Superior with a volume of 2,904 cubic miles (12,104 cubic kilometers). Largest Lake in the United States (by surface area): Lake Superior is the single named lake with the largest surface area in the United States at 31,700 square miles (82,103 square kilometers). However, as mentioned above, if you consider Lake Michigan and Lake Huron as a single lake, then Lake Michigan-Huron has the largest surface area at 45,410 square miles (117,611 square kilometers). Great Lakes | Map | Picture | Five Lakes | Lake Superior | Ontario | Erie | Huron | Michigan Hate 0 The Great Lakes are a group of five huge freshwater lakes between the United States and Canada . Here's the 411 you need on the greatest lakes of all. Great Lake - Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world .

It's 31,820 square miles (82,414 square km), 350 miles (563 km) long and 160 miles (257 km) at its widest part. Lake Superior is bordered on the west by Minnesota, on the north and east by Ontario, Canada, and on the south by Michigan and Wisconsin. Lake Superior is also the deepest of the Great Lakes; it's 1,302 feet (397 m) at it's deepest! Lake Superior drains into Lake Huron through the St. Mary's River and receives the waters of many small streams. The water in Lake Superior is generally less polluted than the other Great Lakes - a US-Canadian pact was established to prevent pollution in 1972. Great Lake - Lake Erie Lake Erie is the fourth largest (or second smallest) of the great lakes. It's 9,940 square miles (25,745 square km), 241 miles (388 km) long and 57 miles (92 km) wide at its widest point.

It's bordered on the north by Ontario, Canada , on the east by New York , on the south by Pennsylvania and Ohio, and on the west by Michigan. It is the shallowest of the Great Lakes, with a maximum depth of 210 feet (64 m), making it the only one with a floor above sea level. Lake Erie is part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system and is linked to Lake Huron and to Lake Ontario by the Niagara River , which is Lake Erie's only natural outlet. Great Lake - Lake Huron Lake Huron is the second largest of the Great Lakes. It's 23,010 square miles (59,596 square km), 206 miles (332 km) long and 183 miles (295 km) at its greatest width. Lake Huron sits between Ontario, Canada and Michigan. At it's deepest , Lake Huron is 750 feet (229 m). Lake Huron receives the waters of Lake Superior through the St. Mary's River and those of Lake Michigan and drains into Lake Erie. Great Lake - Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is the smallest and lowest of the Great Lakes.

It's 7,540 square miles (19,529 square km), 193 miles (311 km) long and 53 miles (85 km) at its widest. Lake Superior sits between Ontario, Canada and New York. Lake Ontario is mainly fed by the waters of Lake Erie, which are transported via the Niagara River. Lake Ontario drains into the St. Lawrence River. Great Lake - Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is the third largest of the Great Lakes and the only one entirely within the United States . It's 22,178 square miles (57,441 square km), 307 miles (494 km) long and 120 miles (193 km) at its widest point. Lake Michigan is bordered by Michigan (duh), Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. The lake is 923 feet (281 m) deep. It's only natural outlet is the The Straits of Mackinac, which connect the lake with Lake Huron. Many islands are found in the northern part of the lake.

Related Stories Great Lakes | lake system, North America | Britannica.com lake system, North America Rush–Bagot Agreement Great Lakes, chain of deep freshwater lakes in east-central North America comprising Lakes Superior , Michigan , Huron , Erie , and Ontario . They are one of the great natural features of the continent and of the Earth . Although Lake Baikal in Russia has a larger volume of water, the combined area of the Great Lakes—some 94,250 square miles (244,106 square kilometres)—represents the largest surface of fresh water in the world, covering an area exceeding that of the United Kingdom . Their drainage basin of about 295,710 square miles (which includes the areas of the lakes themselves and their connecting waterways) extends approximately 690 miles from north to south and about 860 miles from Lake Superior in the west to Lake Ontario in the east. Except for Lake Michigan, the lakes provide a natural border between Canada and the United States , a frontier that was stabilized by a boundary-waters treaty of 1909. It is a source of pride for both countries that there are no fortifications or warships along the boundary.

Marquette Harbor Lighthouse on Lake Superior, Marquette, Michigan. Dale Fisher, US Army Corps of Engineers The Great Lakes and their drainage basin. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Individually, the lakes rank among the 14 largest in the world . They played a central role in the European colonization and development of North America and for decades have attracted people and industry; Lakes Erie and Ontario and the southern portion of Lake Michigan are now ringed with large population concentrations. The lakes have not benefited from this development, however, and have been seriously affected by pollution . Concern over the fate of the lakes reached a high pitch in the late 20th century, with both the U.S. and the Canadian governments and individuals investigating methods for reversing the consequences of years of misuse of the lakes’ waters. Areas and volumes of the Great Lakes surface area Lake Michigan The Great Lakes form the western portion of the larger St. Lawrence hydrographic system. This system extends generally eastward from the St. Louis River in Minnesota (which flows into Lake Superior), through the lakes and the St. Lawrence River, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

For a discussion of the system east of Lake Ontario, see Saint Lawrence River and Seaway . Physical features Geology The age of the Great Lakes is still not definitely determined. Estimates range from 7,000 to 32,000 years of age. Water began filling the glacially scoured basins as soon as the ice receded, some 14,000 years ago. It is generally accepted that Lake Erie reached its present level about 10,000 years ago, Lake Ontario about 7,000 years ago, and Lakes Huron, Michigan , and Superior some 3,000 years ago. The present configuration of the Great Lakes basin is the result of the movement of massive glaciers through the mid-continent, a process that began about one million years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch . Studies in the Lake Superior region indicate that a river system and valleys formed by water erosion existed before the Ice Age. The glaciers undoubtedly scoured these valleys, widening and deepening them and radically changing the drainage of the area. The last glaciation in North America is called the Wisconsin Glacial Stage because it left many fresh landforms and sediments in that state.

As the ice sheet melted and receded about 14,000 years ago, the first segments of the Great Lakes were created. Lake Chicago, in what is now the southern Lake Michigan basin, and Lake Maumee, in present-day western Lake Erie and its adjacent lowlands, originally drained southward into the Mississippi River through the Illinois and Wabash drainages, respectively. As the ice retreat continued, Lake Maumee was drained into Lake Chicago through a valley that now contains the Grand River in Michigan. Eventually, drainage to the east and into the Atlantic Ocean was established, at one time down the valleys of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers and then along the course of the upper St. Lawrence River. At one high-water stage, the waters of the Huron and Michigan basin formed one large lake— Lake Algonquin . At the same time, Lake Duluth, in the western Lake Superior basin, also drained to the Mississippi. Britannica Stories Scipio Africanus the Elder Lake levels generally vary about one to two feet throughout the year, the highest levels occurring in mid-summer and the lowest in late winter. There are small tides of about two inches, but they are relatively unimportant.

Seiches—harmonic oscillations of the lakes—are caused by such atmospheric disturbances as winds or differences in barometric pressure. They have resulted in water piling up temporarily on one side, or end, of the lakes and have caused differences in the water level between Buffalo, N.Y., and Toledo , Ohio, on Lake Erie, as high as 13 feet or more. Currents are highly variable, they respond quickly to wind changes, and their direction is determined by the rotation of the Earth and the shape of the lake basins. The Great Lakes have bicarbonate-rich waters, the alkalinity of which ranges from 46 parts per million of carbonates in Lake Superior to 113 parts per million in Lake Michigan. Because Lake Huron is fed by both Superior and Michigan, its chemical content lies in the middle of the range. Alkalinity then increases slightly as the waters flow into and through Lakes Erie and Ontario. The high carbonate content of the waters is because of the abundance of limestone and dolomite rocks in the basin. The overall chemical composition of the lakes does not differ greatly from that of other large bodies of fresh water.

Limestone in the Lake Michigan basin supplies large amounts of calcium and magnesium to the system, while sodium concentrations are greater than those of magnesium in Erie and Ontario. Although chemical distribution is relatively uniform in any one lake, concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen are greatest along the shores, in bays and harbours, and especially near urban centres. During the 20th century, concentrations of most chemicals have increased significantly in all the lakes except Superior. Chloride, sodium, and sulfate have increased considerably in Lakes Erie, Michigan, and Ontario. Chloride concentrations have increased almost four times over levels reported in 1900, and limited data for Lake Erie indicate that nitrogen concentrations increased fivefold and phosphorus threefold in 30 years. Special importance is attached to these nutrients because they stimulate growth of algae, and their increased concentrations reflect the process of nutrient enrichment called eutrophication. Plant and animal life Diatoms —microscopic algae with glasslike shells of silica—are the major forms of algae, although green and blue-green algae are abundant during the summer in Lakes Erie, Ontario, and Michigan. Copepods and cladocerans, microscopic crustaceans, are important in the animal forms of plankton .

Most abundant during the spring months in the upper lakes, plankton reaches two peaks of abundance—spring and fall—in the lower lakes and in the more productive waters of the upper lakes. The organisms living on the bottom in shallow waters are the same kinds of snails, clams, worms, mayflies, and caddisflies found in most small lakes. The deep waters, however, are the realm of some organisms that are found only in the deep, cold lakes of the northern latitudes. These include the delicate opossum shrimp, the deepwater scud (a crustacean), two types of copepods, and the deepwater sculpin (a spiny, large-headed fish). During the 1980s two nonindigenous creatures—the spiny water flea (a crustacean) and the zebra mussel (a mollusk)—gained access to the lakes and established large populations. Both have threatened the food web of native species, and the zebra mussel has become a nuisance by clogging water-intake pipes, covering spawning reefs, and fouling boat hulls. The fish community of the lakes and tributaries includes representatives of most families of North American fishes.

Lake trout , whitefish , salmon , and lake herring have always been important in the lakes, while perch, walleye, bass, and catfish are abundant in the shallow, warmer waters. The fish population has changed drastically over the past century. By 1880 the damming and pollution of tributaries had caused the elimination of Atlantic salmon and the restriction of whitefish. At the same time, lake sturgeon were purposely overfished, and carp were introduced. Smelt entered Lake Michigan in 1927 and in a short time had spread throughout the lakes; however, since the early 1980s their populations have dwindled dramatically. The predatory sea lamprey migrated into the upper lakes and established spawning populations in the 1930s, causing the collapse of the lake trout populations in Lakes Huron and Michigan by the early 1950s. Other large predators also were drastically reduced in numbers by the sea lamprey. Consequently, when the alewife migrated into the upper lakes between 1931 and 1954, it met little competition and predation and soon became the most abundant species.

Alewives are of little commercial value, however, and have caused costly sanitary operations when, periodically, millions of them die and are washed up to rot on the beaches. A major international program to control the sea lamprey reduced its population substantially; and during the 1960s lake trout were reintroduced when it appeared that the sea lamprey was under control. Coho and chinook salmon were introduced both to provide a sports fishery and to control the alewife. Among the accidently introduced species, the small, perchlike ruffe preys on the eggs of native fishes, while the bottom-dwelling round goby competes for food and habitat with indigenous species. Herring and ring-billed gulls and terns are the most common birds; small islands are important nesting grounds for them. The lakes are important as wintering areas for ducks such as the scaup and the old-squaw duck, and a diversity of shorebirds and songbirds migrate through the region during the spring and fall. Various places along the shoreline, such as Point Pelée (Ontario) in Lake Erie and Whitefish Point (Michigan) in Lake Superior, are favoured locations for bird-watching.

The economy Early interest in the lakes was stimulated by the easy transportation route that they offered into the heartland of the continent. The value of the extensive forests and fertile land in the region was soon realized, and lumbering and agriculture became important. Large coalfields and deposits of iron, copper, salt, limestone, and other minerals were found along or near the extensive shorelines. The combination of these vast resources with a plentiful water supply naturally favoured the development of huge industries and large metropolitan areas around the Great Lakes. Major urbanized areas include a band that extends from Milwaukee , Wis., through Chicago and around southern Lake Michigan; a band that stretches southward from Detroit, Mich., and then continues along the southern shore of Lake Erie; and the Toronto-Hamilton area on the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Resources Although most of the virgin pine forests in the basin were felled by 1910, timber remains important and is supported by both federal and state governments. About half of the land in the counties bordering the lakes in the United States is devoted to farming, while nearly one-third of that in the bordering Canadian provinces is under agriculture.

The major crops raised are corn (maize), soybeans, wheat, animal fodder, and fruits and vegetables; pork, beef, and dairy products are produced as well. The ranges around Lake Superior—such as the Mesabi in Minnesota and the Marquette in Michigan—are a major source of iron ore for the United States. Peak production occurred in 1953, when almost 100 million net tons were produced. The large deposits of rich ores have since been depleted, but low-grade taconite ores are now efficiently processed into iron-ore pellets. Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Peninsula was once a major source of copper; sources outside of the lakes are now relatively more important. Sand dunes along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan are valued for their beauty and as a source of clean sand for industry. Of major importance is the water supply that the lakes provide for bordering industries and municipalities. Hydroelectric generating stations exist on the St. Marys, Niagara, and St. Lawrence rivers. Numerous coal- and nuclear-powered generating plants around the lakes utilize lake water for cooling. Industry and transportation The industry of the lakes region is highly diversified.

The large steel mills in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario and the automobile industry centred in the Detroit area produce a large proportion of the continent’s steel and motor vehicles. Nonetheless, many more workers are employed in the service industry. Most of the total shipping tonnage includes iron ore, coal , grain, and limestone for lake ports, but some tonnage is shipped overseas through the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Welland Canal allows passage around Niagara Falls from Lake Ontario into Lake Erie, and the channels and locks in the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie have made Lake Superior accessible to ships up to 800 feet in length. Fishing and recreation Commercial fishing was once a primary industry on the lakes, but the decline of the more desirable species led to its collapse. A limited amount of commercial fishing is still carried on, however, for species such as whitefish. Emphasis has switched to sport fishing based on coho and chinook salmon, lake trout, walleye, and rainbow trout; this has grown into a major industry. The value of the lakes for a broad spectrum of recreational activities is inestimable.

Powerboating and sailing have become popular activities, and numerous marinas have been built. Many miles of high-quality, sandy beaches stretch along the lake shores. State, provincial, federal, and county lands offer hundreds of camping, picnicking, and park areas for a thriving tourist industry. Sand dunes on the shore of Lake Michigan. Bullaty-Lomeo—The Image Bank/Getty Images Human impact on the lakes The multiple uses of the lakes are often conflicting. The shipping and hydroelectric-power industries favour higher water levels, for example, but property owners along the shoreline find that high levels increase erosion of the shoreline. Conservationists believe that the diversion of treated sewage away from the lakes, such as is being done at Chicago and various other cities, is the best solution for maintaining the quality of the lake waters. Regardless of the approach that is taken, it is clear that changes have occurred in the plant and animal life of the lakes and that these changes have been related to increases in the content of introduced chemicals, depletion of dissolved oxygen in some places, and the accumulation of sewage sludge on lake bottoms near urban areas. Significant changes first became noticeable in about 1900 and paralleled the buildup of human population around the lakes.

Misuse of the lakes became all too apparent and was perhaps most clearly dramatized by the growing number of beaches that were closed after 1950 because of pollution; but the less obvious accumulation of toxic substances in wildlife, especially fish and fish-eating birds, had much more serious implications . It came to be realized that pollution could affect either directly or indirectly all uses—raising the cost of water treatment, killing valuable fish species or rendering other species unfit to eat, and adversely affecting the tourist industry and the value of shoreline property. Since the 1970s a major cooperative effort at pollution control has been undertaken by authorities in Canada and the United States, and this has resulted in improved water quality and the resurgence of some fish populations. Study and exploration The Great Lakes region was inhabited for centuries by numerous American Indian peoples. With the colonization and expansion of European peoples in North America, the lakes became an integral part of the exploration and development of the continent.

It was once speculated that Vikings explored the region in the 14th century—based on the discovery of a broken sword, an ax, and a shield boss near Nipigon Lake, Ont., and a rune stone at Kensington, Minn.—but it is much more likely that the first Europeans entered the region in 1535, when the French explorer Jacques Cartier traveled up the St. Lawrence River to the site of modern Montreal in his search for a route to the Orient. The Huron Indians told him of the great seas lying beyond, but the upper St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario were controlled by the Iroquois, who were unfriendly to the Europeans. Consequently, further exploration by another leading French explorer of North America, Samuel de Champlain , followed the course of the Ottawa River , Lake Nipissing, and the French River to Georgian Bay. He reached Lake Huron in 1615 and is credited with being the first European to see the Great Lakes.

In 1634 Jean Nicolet —dispatched by Champlain to seek a route to China—led an expedition into Lake Michigan and down the length of Green Bay to the Fox River, where he encountered the Winnebago Indians. Other French explorers, including René-Robert Cavelier, Lord de La Salle , explored the lakes, made peace with the Indians, and established early settlements. Three major conflicts affected the history and development of the Great Lakes. The French and Indian War (1754–63)—a struggle between the French and British to gain control of rich fur-producing lands—concluded with the cession of Canada to England. The main consequences of the American Revolution (1775–83) for the Great Lakes region were the migration of thousands of loyalists to New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , Quebec , and Ontario and the establishment of the present international boundary between the United States and Canada. During the War of 1812 , Lake Erie was the site of a major naval battle.

Although several of the early explorers recorded observations of short-term fluctuations in water levels in early geographic writings, the first purely scientific expedition on the Great Lakes was not carried out until 1848. It was led by the Swiss naturalist Louis Agassiz and concentrated on studies of the north shore of Lake Superior. Water-level gauges were established in all the lakes by 1860, and all waters were charted by 1882. Studies of plant and animal life began in the 1870s, and the first study of lake currents was conducted in the early 1890s. Research on the lakes since 1900 largely has been in response to a sequence of crises. The collapse of the lake-herring fishing industry in the 1920s resulted in two major studies of Lake Erie. The invasion of the sea lamprey in the 1930s and concern over lake pollution and eutrophication since World War II has led to international research and cooperation for mitigative measures. Since 1980 additional research has been stimulated by concerns over shoreline erosion and the possible effects of global climatic change. EEK! - Lake Superior .

Lake Superior The Great Lakes make up 20 percent of the Earth's available (not in the ice caps) surface fresh water and half of that water is stored by Lake Superior. Superior is the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes. Thanks to low amounts of nutrients, sediments, and organic material, you can see about eight feet under the water - great for exploring. Lake Superior is located on the northern edge of Wisconsin and stretches between the Upper Peninsula of Michigan north to Ontario Canada. It also spans west to the eastern edge of Minnesota. Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes by surface area and volume. It is like a mini-freshwater ocean, you can't even see the other side from the Wisconsin shoreline. This Great Lake doesn't have tides like the ocean; however, periodically the water levels rise and fall by as much as one foot due to a phenomenon called a "seiche" (SAYSH, a French word that means "to sway back and forth"). This happens when water piles up on one side of the lake because of wind or high barometric pressure and then shifts back to the other side.

Small seiches occur all the time, but sometimes strong ones can cause ships to bang together in harbors, or leave them high and dry for a few minutes. Check out these facts... Surface Area: 31,700 square miles Water Volume: 2,934 cubic miles of water Shoreline length: 2,726 miles (including islands) Population living around the lake: 474,150 (Unites States) 155,675 (Canada) Land use near the lake: 68 percent forest Mineral rich area: iron, gold, silver, copper, zinc Gemstone rich: agates, amethyst, greenstone, thomsonite and even some diamonds Not only is Lake Superior the largest of the Great Lakes, it also has the biggest surface area of any freshwater lake in the world. It holds about 3,000 cubic miles of water - enough to fill all the other Great Lakes plus Lake Erie three times over. The average depth of Superior is about 500 feet. It is the deepest (1,335 feet) of the Great Lakes.

If you go swimming there in the hottest part of the summer, you'll soon learn that Lake Superior is also the coldest of the Great Lakes - brrr, icy cold at an average temperature of 40ï¿½ F (4ï¿½C). The water temperature sets the climate for the area, making winters warmer and summers cooler. Fall is the season for "northeasters" or strong winds and rain. This is what caused most of Lake Superior's 350 shipwrecks. The lake weather also causes "lake effect" snowfalls along the shores of Wisconsin and Michigan because the air cools and releases moisture as it rises - dropping more snow in addition to typical Midwestern weather patterns. Also during most winters, the lake is 40 to 95 percent covered by ice. Wind usually keeps the center of the lake open. It occasionally frezes over completely. Superior stretches approximately 350 miles from west to east, and 160 miles north to south, with a shoreline almost 2,800 miles long. That is the same distance as driving from Duluth Minnesota to Miami Florida.

The land area surrounding the lake also provides Lake Superior with water in the form of rain and snowmelt runoff from Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario Canada. Most of the land around Lake Superior is heavily forested. Not many people farm near the lake because the temperatures are cool and the soil is poor. You won't find many people living along the lake either, except in port cities where the ships load and unload. Did you know that Lake Superior is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the St. Lawrence Seaway? The 2,343 mile (3,770 kilometer) trip takes about seven days by boat from Duluth/Superior, the busiest inland port in the country, with more than 1,000 vessels visiting each year. Lake Superior was the location of the famous Nov. 10, 1975 shipwreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. This large cargo ship sank during an intense storm on a regular trip from Superior, Wisconsin, to Detroit Michigan, carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore. Lake Critters More than 78 species of fish have been recorded in Lake Superior.

Some of the species you'll find in this lake include: Bloater All About the Great Lakes of North America By Colin Stief, Geography Intern Updated July 21, 2016. Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, form the Great Lakes , straddling the United States and Canada to make up the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world. Collectively they contain 5,439 cubic miles of water (22,670 cubic km), or about 20% of all the earth’s fresh water, and cover an area of 94,250 square miles (244,106 square km). Several other minor lakes and rivers are also included in the Great Lakes region including the Niagra River, Detroit River, St. Lawrence River, St. Marys River, and the Georgian Bay. There are 35,000 islands estimated to be located on the Great Lakes, created by years of glacial activity . Interestingly, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are connected by the Straits of Mackinac, and can be technically considered a single lake.

The Formation of the Great Lakes The Great Lakes Basin (the Great Lakes and the surrounding area) began to form about two billion years ago – almost two-thirds the age of the earth. continue reading below our video 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know During this period, major volcanic activity and geologic stresses formed the mountain systems of North America, and after significant erosion, several depressions in the ground were carved. Some two billion years later the surrounding seas continuously flooded the area, further eroding the landscape and leaving a lot of water behind as they went away. More recently, about two million years ago, it was glaciers that advanced over and back across the land. The glaciers were upwards of 6,500 feet thick and further depressed the Great Lakes Basin. When the glaciers finally retreated and melted approximately 15,000 years ago, massive quantities of water were left behind. It is these glacier waters that form the Great Lake today. Many glacial features are still visible on the Great Lakes Basin today in the form of "glacial drift," groups of sand, silt, clay and other unorganized debris deposited by a glacier.

Moraines , till plains, drumlins, and eskers are some of the most common features that remain. The Industrial Great Lakes The shorelines of the Great Lakes stretch a little over 10,000 miles (16,000 km), touching eight states in the U.S. and Ontario in Canada, and make an excellent site for the transportation of goods. It was the primary route used by early explorers of North America and was a major reason for the great industrial growth of the Midwest throughout the 19th and 20th century. Today, 200 million tons a year are transported using this waterway. Major cargoes include iron ore (and other mine products), iron and steel, agriculture, and manufactured goods. The Great Lakes Basin also is home to 25%, and 7% of Canadian and U.S. agricultural production, respectively. Cargo ships are aided by the system of canals and locks built on and between the lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes Basin.

The two major sets of locks and canals are: 1) The Great Lakes Seaway, consisting of the Welland Canal and the Soo Locks, allowing ships to pass by the Niagra Falls and the rapids of the St. Marys River. 2) The St. Lawrence Seaway, extending from Montreal to Lake Erie, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Altogether this transportation network makes it possible for ships to travel a total distance of 2,340 miles (2765 km), all the way from Duluth, Minnesota to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In order to avoid collisions when traveling on the rivers connecting the Great Lakes, ships travel "upbound" (west) and "downbound" (east) in shipping lanes. There are around 65 ports located on Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system. 15 are international and include: Burns Harbor at Portage, Detroit, Duluth-Superior, Hamilton, Lorain, Milwaukee, Montreal, Ogdensburg, Oswego, Quebec, Sept-Iles, Thunder Bay, Toledo, Toronto, Valleyfield, and Port Windsor.

Great Lakes Recreation About 70 million people visit these the Great Lakes every year to enjoy their water and beaches. Sandstone cliffs, high dunes, extensive trails, campgrounds, and diverse wildlife are just some of the many attractions of the Great Lakes. It is estimated that $15 billion is spent every year for leisure activities every year. Sport fishing is a very common activity, partly because of the Great Lakes' size, and also because the lakes are stocked year after year. Some of the fish include bass, bluegill, crappie, perch, pike, trout, and walleye. Some non-native species such as salmon and hybrid breeds have been introduced but have generally not succeeded. Chartered fishing tours are a major part of the Great Lakes tourism industry. Spas and clinics are popular tourist attractions also, and couple well with some of the serene waters of the Great Lakes. Pleasure-boating is another common activity and is more successful than ever as more and more canals are built to connect the lakes and surrounding rivers. Great Lakes Pollution and Invasive Species Unfortunately, there have been concerns about the quality of water of the Great Lakes.

Industrial waste and sewage were the primary culprits, specifically phosphorus, fertilizer, and toxic chemicals. In order to control this issue, the governments of Canada and the United States joined to sign the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972. Such measures have drastically improved the quality of water, though pollution still finds it way into the waters, primarily through agricultural runoff. Another major concern in the Great Lakes is non-native invasive species. An unanticipated introduction of such species can drastically alter evolved food chains and destroy local ecosystems. The end result of this is a loss of biodiversity . Well known invasive species include the zebra mussel, Pacific salmon, carp, lamprey, and alewife.

Question: Which is the largest of The Great Lakes
Answer: Lake Superior